posted by Jessica Lynette on Uncategorized

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Going to Nigeria was one of the greatest decisions we made as a family – my children’s lives have been altered as a result of living so closely with those in another culture. Their worlds and hearts are bigger for having had the experiences they did. Their bond to each other is tighter. Their ideas of who God is and how real He is were made personal to them on that trip.

8 months after that trip I still see the beauty and rewards we are receiving from that trip.

We often go through our photo albums and digital files and remember forgotten details, like this photo here;

Judah, myself and a few others had gone on a walk to see a nomadic tribe.
After a short visit this woman went out and started to feed her chickens. A few seconds after this shot was taken she snatched one of them up, which caused the rest of the chickens to scurry away in fright. She then started to feed them again, which calmed them all down, and then she tied the feet of the captured chicken and handed it to us as a gift.

Lovely.

And then there’s this picture – the Orange-tree-dubbed-Sycamore-tree the boys enjoyed climbing and belting out “Zacchaeus was a wee little man…”

The textures and simple building supplies – the blare of white through the window is a tin roof.

The boys would seek refuge in this bucket from the many hands trying to hold them.

Their sweet little friends, Queen and Glory.

Why hello Mr. Goat. Funny to meet you here on this road. How is your morning stroll?

A favorite of my youngest with three of their playmates.

And this picture? It still makes me shudder. I can’t believe I let my then 3 year old get so close to a 50 foot well. My uncle had him safely in his arms the whole time, but wow! It does a number on my mommy heart each time I look at it.

How many children can you fit in an orange tree?

See that dirt? This was early in the morning – probably around 7 am. They reveled in the dirt and made sure it was in every crevice of their body. Then they complained at their twice daily baths. {Typically, they would be inside twice a day – once for lunch/nap time and once for supper/bedtime. Other than that they were outside playing hard.}